The Oath
by FrozenCrocus
Summary: Dave flew off with Becky on the eagle and left weakened Balthazar and Veronica behind.  Dave's thoughtlessness gives Horvath the opening he needs.  Balthazar's living Hell isn't over yet.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N : After I saw the movie several times (yes, several), I found myself thinking about Balthazar's line "You don't know anything about a living Hell," and I started to wonder how he would deal with the completion of his quest. He's been given everything he'd hoped, but all that pain stored up over 1000+ years wouldn't just melt away – especially if Horvath had anything to say about it._

_This is my version of events post-movie. Please R&R!_

_~~~/~~~\\~~~_

Balthazar and Veronica looked up as the giant steel eagle flew overhead with Dave and Becky on board. "I guess we're taking my car," Balthazar said with a loving smile. Veronica took his arm and they began their exodus from the park. He was weak from the fight. His heart still fluttered slightly out of rhythm. Dave was powerful, but he'd acted on instinct rather than on knowledge. There were bound to be some gaps, gaps that would be overcome through further training. Veronica supported his weight as they made their way across the green, now littered with scorch marks and broken marble.

Because he was still on edge from the fight, he felt, rather than heard, footsteps coming up behind them. He stopped in his tracks, frowning, suddenly watchful. The footsteps ceased, too. Veronica looked up at him quizzically.

"Now, Balthazar, it is my turn," came Horvath's voice. Veronica gasped and spun her head to face him. Balthazar closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Letting it out slowly, he tried to ignore the pain of his injuries sustained in the battle with Morgana. He gingerly turned to face Horvath.

"It's over, Horvath," Balthazar said in as strong a voice as he could manage. He had to talk some sense into his former apprentice brother. "Morgana is dead. You lost."

Balthazar watched Horvath's gaze flicker to Veronica's face then back. He was still in love with her after all these centuries. It was never meant to be. He'd lost in more ways than one. "No," said Horvath stubbornly, "I still have my revenge." He raised his cane and threw Veronica against the metal fence.

"No!" screamed Balthazar and took a step toward Horvath. Without Veronica's aid, he stumbled and fell to his knees, catching himself with his hands. He struggled to a kneeling position and focused on pulling in air, trying to clear his mind of pain. Morgana had done more damage than he'd realized.

Horvath laughed. It was a hollow sound that filled the park as he closed the distance between them. Balthazar watched Horvath through thick curls of dirty-blonde hair. He was weak. He didn't have enough strength to fight. Fighting Morgana had taken everything he'd had, including his life. If Dave hadn't been there, he'd still be dead. Damn Dave anyway for leaving before ensuring they'd all gotten to safety. He hadn't enough strength to stand, never mind strength enough to fight a powerful sorcerer. He looked to Veronica then back to Horvath. "Spare her," he said quietly, barely loud enough to be heard. Horvath stopped his approach, watching him curiously. "Spare her," Balthazar said again, "I'll do anything you want."

"Balthazar, no!" cried Veronica from the far side of the garden.

"Silence!" shouted Horvath and Veronica fell quiet. He turned his attention back to Balthazar. The weak sorcerer knelt before him like a penitent before his god. The edge of Horvath's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Anything I want?" he repeated. Balthazar nodded. A knot formed in his stomach as he confirmed that Horvath had heard him correctly. "Make the Oath!" snarled Horvath.

Balthazar bowed his head and brought his hands together in apparent prayer, interlacing his fingers. He glanced at Veronica. She shook her head, begging him not to do what he was about to do. She had given everything for him. He had to do the same for her. The Oath bound a sorcerer to obey his word, to stay true to whatever promise was uttered at that moment. It was part sorcerer's creed, part incantation. If he uttered the words and made the Oath, he would be bound to Horvath's will. Tears spilled down Veronica's porcelain cheeks. He loved her so much. He'd just gotten her back. He couldn't lose her again. With great effort, Balthazar tore his gaze from Veronica's and looked to Horvath. "You must join me. Swear you'll not harm Veronica," Balthazar insisted.

Horvath considered a moment before replying, "Very well."

Balthazar opened his praying hands palms up to the sky and lines of fire formed in the air above them, mapping symbols and ancient runes. "I, Balthazar Blake, sorcerer of the seven hundred and seventy-seventh degree, swear my will to Maxim Horvath so long as Veronica remains unharmed."

Horvath raised his staff and blue flames entwined with the red, creating areas of purple fire. "I, Maxim Horvath, accept these terms."

It was done. Balthazar let his hands fall back to his sides and he sat back on his heels, exhausted. As the symbols faded from the air, Horvath released Veronica. Horvath turned, taking his hat from the fence where Dave had placed it. He turned back as he put the hat on. "Destroy the Prime Merlinian."

Pure shock must have registered on Balthazar's otherwise stoic face because Horvath leered a grin. All the breath went out of Balthazar. He was bound by the Oath. He had to act. But he was also bound by the oath between master and apprentice, an oath he'd taken in the Merlin Circle. Perhaps there was a way out of this, "I – can't!" Balthazar managed, "He is my apprentice! I – ,"

"You must obey me!" Horvath interrupted in a loud voice. Balthazar fell silent. "Or Veronica will die." With a glimmer of delight in his dark eyes, Horvath left the park.

Balthazar watched Horvath disappear into the darkness. When he was gone, Balthazar collapsed, falling onto his arms, curling into the child's pose. He lay there a moment, his muscles shaking in silent horror at what he'd just done. He could feel Veronica standing a few paces behind him, hesitant, unsure what to do. How could he have taken such an oath? How could he have avoided it? How could he possibly complete such a task? Anger flared suddenly. Anger at Dave for leaving them behind in such grave danger. Anger at Horvath for asking this of him. Anger at himself for the betrayal he must commit. Balthazar raised himself from the child's pose, threw his head back to the black night sky and released a cry of pain and fury.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N : Thanks for the reviews! It's such a rush when I see another story alert notification or another review! I hope you like this continuation of the story. Don't worry, the tale doesn't end here._

_ As you've probably guessed by now, I love heavy plotlines. I think heroes gain their strength from their painful past, but (because even sorcerers are human) that pain needs a little release now and then. _

_Enjoy! And, as always, please R&R!_

_~ FrozenCrocus_

The door to the laboratory squeaked opened and Balthazar heard Dave's cheerful voice calling his name. The sorcerer made no reply. His eyes remained closed and, though he tried not to move a muscle, his brow furrowed ever so slightly at the thought of what the Oath asked him to do. "Balthazar?" Dave's friendly tone echoed off the old brick. The Merlin Circle was lit. Balthazar stood in the center of it with his back to the entrance. "Balthazar, are you here?" Dave's old man shoes clacked on the brick. He hadn't changed into his sneakers after last night. "Veronica?" Dave called her name hesitatingly as if it was that of a holy saint and he was unworthy to speak it. Balthazar had sent Veronica away. He didn't want her to see what he had to do. At last, Dave made it to the landing in the middle of the staircase. "There you are! Didn't you hear me calling?" The kid jogged down the last flight of stairs to the laboratory floor, leaping over the last few stairs when he got towards the bottom. Balthazar still made no answer. "Balthazar?" Dave's voice had a hint of concern in it. Balthazar's heart ached.

"There is a spell," Balthazar began softly, slowly, "That forces a sorcerer to keep his promises, literally binds him to his word. It can be used for good." He turned his head to look over his shoulder at Dave for the first time. His haunted gaze accented his point, "Or evil."

"Okay, look," said Dave, completely missing the intense gaze, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was taking Becky to France on the eagle. I know I've probably missed a training session. I'm sorry,"

Balthazar almost smiled at Dave's apology. Instead, he shook his head seriously, turning to face his apprentice fully. He kept his hands clasped tightly. If Dave had been paying attention, he might have seen that Balthazar's knuckles were white. "This isn't about the breakfast in Paris, Dave," he said.

Confusion crossed his apprentice's face. "Then, what?"

Balthazar looked down at his clasped hands and sighed. Veronica's face came forefront to his mind. The image of her pinned to the metal fence. The wicked gleam in Horvath's eye as he realized he could completely undo Balthazar if he killed Veronica. The Oath had been his only way of saving her, and now it had to be fulfilled. He couldn't lose her again. He unclasped his hands, formed a plasma ball between them, and raised it to the level of his eye. As he raised his head, pain glistened in his eyes, sparkling in the plasma ball's light. "I'm sorry, Dave."

"Whoa! What?" was all Dave was able to say before Balthazar loosed the plasma bolt. Dave blocked it with a shield. "What the Hell are you doing?" he shrieked. "Balthazar, it's me!"

"I know," Balthazar replied. His voice sounded hollow and lifeless. He felt like a shadow of his former self. He let loose another plasma bolt toward his apprentice's chest. It struck another shield and dispersed. Even though he was the one attacking, Balthazar felt a surge of pride course through him. He'd trained his apprentice well.

"Dude!" cried Dave. "I think I got enough fighting practice with Morgana last night, 'kay?"

"This isn't practice, Dave," stated Balthazar seriously.

Dave ceased running about the lab. A mistake. "What? So this is real?" He should have kept running. Balthazar let lose a volley of plasma bolts. Dave blocked all but one which struck him in the upper arm. Dave yelled in surprise at the sudden pain and fell to one knee. He gazed at his arm. The shirt had burned away where the bolt had struck. Beneath, the wound was cauterized by the intense heat. Dave looked to his master. Stunned disbelief reflected in his wide eyes. Balthazar closed his eyes to avoid Dave's gaze, a plasma ball still at the ready in his dominant hand. Guilt welled up inside him. "Balthazar," his apprentice called him. Balthazar opened his eyes and forced himself to meet Dave's gaze. "What is going on?"

"You left too soon, Dave," said Balthazar quietly. Each word was like a soap bubble in the charged atmosphere. Just one touch and the careful calm would be shattered and all the pain and anger within would be released. "Horvath –," he began, but found he couldn't finish the explanation.

"Veronica?" Dave asked, jumping to the obvious conclusion.

Balthazar shook his head. "She's fine. Because I made a deal." The look on his apprentice's face told him he clearly didn't understand. "An oath," Balthazar added, "_The_ Oath."

"What oath?" Dave asked.

Balthazar sighed and wished again that he'd had more time to train the boy. "I'm sorry, Dave. I truly am." He raised the plasma bolts and let them fly towards his apprentice. Given the time to rest, Dave instantly raised his defenses again. Each strike added to Balthazar's guilt, fueling it toward anger. Rage and grief kept pent up for centuries flashed to the surface at last. How dare Horvath betray them! How dare Veronica take Morgana's soul into her and force him to lock her away! How dare Merlin set him on this quest! How dare he die! How dare Horvath demand him to kill his apprentice and violate the oath he'd taken in the Merlin Circle! Plasma bolts gave way to fire bolts. As Balthazar let his anger flow, the green flames of the Merlin Circle guttered and died. New lines formed in the brick in red flame. A Morganian Pentacle rose up, obscuring the Merlin Circle. Balthazar didn't notice. As he missed Dave, or his bolts were deflected, Balthazar ended up setting fire to one of Dave's textbooks, then to the mops. The air grew hot with fire and carbon dioxide.

Dave was using every defensive spell he knew, refusing to fight back. The unleashed pain ate at Balthazar's soul. His apprentice was strong enough to kill him if only he would fight back. His death would save both his apprentice and Veronica. He'd given his life for Veronica before. He'd do it again. And death would stop the pain. "Fight me!" Balthazar shouted at his apprentice.

"No!" Dave shouted back. "I won't!"

Balthazar sent a fireball at Dave's chest. "Attack me!"

"No!" Dave shouted again. His voice cracked in the dry, charged air. He dispersed the fireball with a vacuum sphere. "What's happened to you?" he screamed at his master. "This isn't who you are!"

Balthazar faltered. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter, weary. "How can you, who have only known me for a few days, presume to know me?" With wide arms, he gestured to the fire that was consuming every source of fuel it could find. In the smoke-filled room, Balthazar appeared as little more than a dark silhouette, a specter amongst the flames. "This is more who I am than the man you've seen over the past few days. Do you know?" He paused, considering. "No, you can't possibly. But can you imagine the pain one builds up over a thousand years of being separated from the one you love?" Pain glistened from deep within Balthazar's eyes. "One thousand years of failure?"

"We didn't fail," Dave pointed out. "We won!"

"No!" snapped Balthazar. The flames in the room intensified. Dave took a step backwards, away from his master. Balthazar pointed a finger at his young apprentice as he closed the distance between them. "_You_ won! _You_ killed Morgana with nothing more than two days of training. _You_ brought me back to life. _You_ got _your_ girl to safety before Horvath came back and forced me to swear the Oath to kill you!"

Dave's eyes were intensely dark. But now Balthazar sensed his apprentice finally understood. Dave raised a hand and extinguished the flames Balthazar had caused. Smoke rose from the still-warm ashes. When all was quiet again, Dave's gaze locked on something over Balthazar's shoulder. "Is your oath worth that?" He nodded at something behind his master.

The elder sorcerer turned and saw what had become of the Merlin Circle. He drew a sharp intake of breath at the sight of the Morganian Pentacle. He felt the magic that bound him to the design and knew he had conjured it. Movement drew his eye upward toward the landing and he saw Veronica with tears streaming down her face. She'd watched the whole thing. When their eyes met, she ran, taking the stairs two at a time.

"Veronica!" Balthazar called, taking three steps to chase after her. The door slammed. Balthazar stopped in his tracks. "Veronica," he whispered. His eye was drawn back to the Morganian Pentacle, burning where the Merlin Circle had been. What had he done? What had he become? He looked to Dave who watched him carefully, warily. Oh, God. Was that fear in his apprentice's eyes? "Dave," he said quietly, needing to hear he hadn't gone too far, knowing he had.

Dave shook his head silently and followed Veronica's path out of the lab. The sound of the door shutting was final.

Balthazar watched the pentacle burn amongst the ashes of his anger. He had abused the Merlin Circle and it had forsaken him. "I was wrong," he said to the empty room, "_This_ is a living Hell."


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N : Wow, I'm truly pleased at the responses I've received. Thank you so much! It's great to find other people who enjoy intense writing as much as I do._

_I'd almost written myself into a corner on the last chapter. But happily, the muse granted me a new idea to push the story along._

_Enjoy! And, as always, R&R!_

Balthazar extinguished the pentacle's illumination with a dispersion spell. He gazed in sorrow at the furrows the Morganian symbol had carved into the brick. The Merlin Circle was barely discernable now. The two symbols mixed in a strange cacophony of imbued icons. This was wrong. He felt it with every fiber of his being. It had to be undone.

He stood in the center of the mismatched symbols and closed his eyes, clearing his mind. He slowly outstretched his arms palm up, feeling the gathering magic as he had so many times before. With a swift motion upwards, he called forth the fire to summon the Merlin Circle. Red flames shot up behind his closed eyelids and he felt the Morganian Pentacle appear instead. The magic felt different, darker somehow. Balthazar's shoulders slumped in failure when he dropped his arms. When he finally opened his eyes, he stared hopelessly at the burning symbol. He felt ill.

His eyes fixed on the grimhold across the room. Balthazar was suddenly reminded of his original plan to stop Morgana and give Dave more time to come into his own as the Prime Merlinian. He'd taken Morgana's soul into his own and asked Dave to lock him inside the grimhold. Balthazar knew the strength of his own magic. He'd honed it over a thousand years. If he was now Morganian, he deserved to be placed within the grimhold.

He was suddenly reminded of those few moments he'd been fused with Morgana. He recalled the struggle to keep control while she shouted things only he could hear. _Such pain, Balthazar Blake,_ she'd hissed. _Such fear. Such powerful emotions. You and I are not so different._ God, how he'd feared the truth of those words. Fused as they were, he hadn't been able to hide his fear from the sorceress. He'd lost control. She'd grasped those milliseconds to take him over.

The fusion had worked both ways, Morgana could feel his fear and he could feel her anger. Even now, after all the danger was passed, what frightened him most was not the power of her fury or the strength of her raw emotion, but that he had actually _liked_ the power he'd felt coursing through his veins when she'd had possession of him. At that realization, he'd fought harder to regain control. He'd been too late. He had failed, allowed her to escape his body. Dave should never have had to fight her so soon. Balthazar should have been imprisoned in the grimhold that night.

Some wrongs could be righted. The sorcerer reached out his hand to call the grimhold to him, but stopped before he summoned it.

No.

No shortcuts. That was the Merlinian way. And he truly wanted to be a Merlinian. Balthazar walked across the room and scooped up the grimhold. He stared at the two halves in each of his hands, fitting them together carefully. He couldn't trap himself within it. That's not how it worked. If it had, he wouldn't have had to try to convince Dave to place him within. He needed someone else to activate the grimhold and trap him inside.

If he went near Dave, the Oath would demand he try to kill the kid. He couldn't do that. Nor could he make his apprentice go through that again. Balthazar grimaced. _Former_ apprentice. He'd broken that oath when he'd attacked him out of malice and hatred. Veronica was the only one left who could do what needed to be done. He hoped she would … for all their sakes.

Balthazar placed the grimhold in one of the large pockets in his rawhide trench coat and turned back to the pentacle.

"Well, this is a sight I never thought I'd see," said a voice at the top of the stairs. Balthazar looked up sharply and saw Horvath standing on the landing above the old subway turnaround. His eyes narrowed in a glare. The look on Horvath's face could only be described as the-cat-that-ate-the-canary. "The great Balthazar Blake … a Morganian!" Horvath's laugh was one of true glee. The sound turned Balthazar's stomach. Horvath made his way to the bottom of the stairs.

Balthazar extinguished the pentacle again. His skin crawled with the mere presence of his former apprentice-brother. "I will make this right," he said quietly but firmly.

Horvath gave him an overly sincere nod. "Oh, yes. I'm sure you will." He removed his hat and glanced about the lab as if looking for something. "Since Merlinians cannot conjure the Morganian Pentacle can I assume you've killed your apprentice?"

"No," said Balthazar through gritted teeth.

Horvath gave a shallow sigh. "Pity." His dark brows arched as he rolled his eyes. It was a strange gesture for a man wearing Victorian clothing. "Do tell me you at least _tried_ to kill him." A dark look came into Balthazar's eyes and he looked down at the mangled symbols of sorcery below. "Ah!" Horvath let out a triumphant chirp. Balthazar glanced up without raising his head. Through tangled locks, he saw Horvath's grin. "You did! You honestly tried to kill the Prime Merlinian!" In a flash, Horvath's grin became a glare as he closed the distance between them and stood in Balthazar's personal space. The jewel at the end of Horvath's cane rested at Balthazar's chest. Balthazar stiffened. "Isn't it amazing what lengths a man will go to for love?" he hissed, spitting the last word. Balthazar made no answer. Horvath turned and walked a short distance away. "Tell me, Balthazar," said Horvath conversationally. "How is Veronica taking all of this?"

"She'll never love you, Maxim," Balthazar said in lieu of answering the question.

"No," Horvath agreed. The devilish smile returned to his face. "But that's not really the point." He placed his hat back atop his round head.

"Enlighten me," Balthazar said in a low tone.

"Oh come now! Do you honestly believe Veronica can love a Morganian?" Horvath smirked at Balthazar's dark gaze. "Cheer up, Balthazar! At least this way she's alive." He began the climb back out of the old subway turnaround, pausing before he made the final turn that would obscure him from Balthazar's line of sight. "Oh, I forgot to mention: If you haven't killed the boy by tomorrow night, I will kill Veronica."

Balthazar gaped. "That wasn't in our deal." Horvath gave an exaggerated shrug and a smirk before turning to leave. Balthazar's careful calm shattered and he stretched out his hand to pin Horvath to the wall. Horvath gave a surprised gasp. His cane fell from his grasp and clattered to the landing. Balthazar climbed the stairs towards him. "You know, Horvath, dealing with you now would save me a great deal of trouble later." Horvath tried to say something, but it came out as a strangled gargle. Balthazar's magic was pinning him to the wall too tightly to allow speech. Balthazar leaned in. "What was that?" he asked, knowing full well why the other couldn't speak. At this moment, he didn't much care.

"The- Oath -," managed Horvath in a strained voice.

"The Oath says I can't _kill_ you to get out of it," admitted Balthazar. With his free hand, he pulled out the grimhold. "It says nothing about trapping you within the grimhold." Horvath's eyes widened at the sight of the doll. "What do you say, Horvath? Release me from the Oath? Or spend some time in the grimhold?" Balthazar released Horvath a little so he could speak.

Horvath breathed deeply and coughed. When he regained his voice he responded, "I would rather choose option C." A glimmer of light out of the corner of Balthazar's eye caught his attention. He just caught the glow of Merlin's ring on Horvath's finger before a force struck him and he stumbled backward, catching himself on the iron railing before he tumbled down the stairs. The grimhold tumbled from his grasp as he was thrown and bounced off the railing, preparing for a dive to the floor. Horvath called his cane to him with Merlin's ring and reached out a hand to grab the grimhold. Balthazar reached out with the hand not clutching the railing, and summoned the grimhold to him. The doll danced in the air, suspended between the two sorcerers.

Balthazar analyzed the situation quickly. One of Horvath's hands was keeping Balthazar where he was. The other was summoning the grimhold. To keep his balance against the push and pull of the two spells, he had leaned against the railing for balance. Balthazar smirked behind his locks of long hair. Horvath caught the expression, but didn't have time to discern what it might mean. Balthazar sent an electric spark from the hand that clutched the iron railing. Blue electricity arced to Horvath.

Horvath shrieked as the bolt struck him. His spells faltered. The grimhold flew into Balthazar's outstretched hand and he put it back in the pocket where it had been. When he looked up, Horvath was gone.


End file.
